Trust Update – Dee4Life

Dee4Life End of Season Message

Dear members,

There were many ups and downs over the course of the campaign but it’s a pleasure to write to you all with our Premiership status restored after a remarkable end to the season.

On behalf of the Trust, I want to thank Gary Bowyer for guiding us back as champions at the first time of asking. He and his backroom staff will always be remembered fondly amongst the Dark Blue faithful.

His departure so soon after a weekend of celebrations came as a shock to many and we hope that the board will move quickly to appoint a new manager, allowing them time to build foundations before the season kicks off again.

As we shared with you all recently, talks have been ongoing between the club and ourselves regarding a future working relationship.

A formal proposal outlining how we see a partnership between the club and the Trust working has now been submitted.

Key to this is ensuring that an appropriate platform exists for supporters’ views to be raised, respected and reflected in decision making by those running the club. As such, we have called for several measures intended to increase the level of fan representation, engagement and communication, along the lines outlined in the club’s own Customer Charter.

We also outlined the various ways we can help with regards to fundraising, the club’s development and growing our support if the board are willing to enter into meaningful engagement of the type we have proposed.

We will update all members once further talks about this have taken place with the club.

Meanwhile, our director Kenny Valentine raised several issues highlighted by members in his latest meeting with Greg Fenton and he was assured that action will be taken over the summer to address the poor state of several areas of Dens Park. The sporadic closure of South Enclosure exit gates will also be raised with Safety and Security Manager Jim Thomson.

Greg also revealed that investment is being made in the club’s media department and DeeTV offering, as well as the wider people resource. More details on these areas will be shared by the club in due course.

Greg has requested that the FAQs arising from our season ticket survey are addressed as part of an upcoming update on developments to be shared with all fans simultaneously. Whilst the delay is frustrating we await the communication and hope it addresses the concerns expressed by members. If not, we will continue to raise these with the club.

All the best,

Ross Day,
Secretary.

Trust Update

New Dee4Life Chair appointed

Dear members,

I am delighted to tell you that Keith Winter has been appointed Dee4Life Chair.

Keith brings with him a wealth of professional experience having held senior positions in local authorities north and south of the border. Before retiring last year, Keith held the position of Executive Director of Enterprise and Environment at Fife Council.

His field of expertise is town planning and economic development and he holds non-executive directorships and other voluntary positions with a number of organisations.

Keith (above) impressed my fellow Dee4Life directors and I with his passion for Dundee and his desire to ensure that the voices of his fellow fans are heard by the club board.

Keith, who has followed Dundee since 1969 and is a member of the Invergowrie Dark Blues, said: “After discussions with representatives of the Trust, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to fulfil the role of Chair particularly given my long association as a fan of The Dee.

“I hope to bring some of my experience from other roles and organisations engaged in partnership working. I will seek to achieve goals and common objectives, whilst representing the Trust in its purposes, engagement with, and support for Dundee Football Club and its supporters.”

Keith’s appointment was approved by the Dee4Life board at our meeting on Monday 1 May.

Minutes from this meeting will be available online shortly and further updates from the Trust will be shared at the conclusion of the season.

Keith takes on the role from Norrie Price who has stepped down but remains an active board member.

Regards,

Grant Hill (Vice-Chair)

Trust Update

new director appointed

We are delighted to announce that Scott Lorimer has been appointed to the Dee4Life board as our new Communications Director.

Scott is a lifelong Dundee supporter who volunteered with Dee4Life when the club was placed in administration in 2010. He was a journalism student at Stirling University at the time and assisted the Trust on the communications side during that period. He has subsequently gained significant professional experience in journalism and public relations and currently works as an online content producer.

Scott takes over the comms brief from Grant Hill, who will continue in his role as Vice-Chair of Dee4Life.

Trust Update

Director Resignation

Long-standing director Douglas Tott today informed us of his decision to resign from the board of Dee4Life.

Douglas began volunteering with Dee4Life in January 2018 and joined the Trust board in September 2020 as a Co-opted director.
Douglas was appointed a full director at the Dee4life AGM in February 2022.

During his time with Dee4Life, Douglas’ experience of the banking industry has helped us improve the financial side of our operations. The diligence and tenacity he displayed in tackling seemingly intractable issues with banks is particularly appreciated.

Douglas continually tried to encourage Dee4life members and Dundee supporters to raise funds for Dee4life using Easyfundraising for online purchases and Easysearch as their internet search engine.

We wish Douglas all the best for the future.

Trust Update

Hot Water Bottle Donation

Director Kenny Valentine visited the Dundee FC community trust this morning to present a donation of hot water bottles to support the trusts winter support program.

Dee4Life are an active supporter of the great work the DFC Community Trust carry out, the winter support program provides vital service to those most in need in the wider community and we were more than happy to support with providing 168 hot water bottles to help those who may be struggling to heat their homes

Kenny Valentine & Dundee FC Community Trust CEO, Greg Fenton

You can join Dee4Life through our website www.Dee4Life.com

Kenny pictured with Greg Fenton CEO of the Dundee FC Community Trust

Trust Update

Year End Message

Image Credit : Derek Gerrard Photography

I am delighted to report that our membership has now passed the 400-mark as it continues to grow. As we approach the end of 2022, I want to thank all of you who have joined the Trust over the past year or who have renewed your membership. The more members we have, the stronger our voice is.

While we have little progress to report in our attempts to secure a meeting with the DFC board the club have reiterate to us their belief that there is no danger of Dundee becoming homeless, for the reasons they outlined back in March.

While that is welcome, we would like to gain a better understanding of the matter through further dialogue and for the club to publicly address the other questions asked by fans around the proposed new stadium development.

We understand that many of you feel frustrated just now but, as we said at last month’s AGM, we will do everything we can to seek answers to the issues that our members are urging us to raise with the club. Please be assured that there is a lot of work taking place in the background that we hope to be able to update you on soon.

Dee4Life ends 2022 in a much stronger position than it began the year in. Our board has expanded and our new directors, including our most recent appointee Kenny Valentine, bring with them significant professional experience. We also have an enlarged pool of expert advisers helping to inform our decisions and a membership that has more than doubled in recent months.

For Dundee supporters, last weekend’s postponed game against Cove Rangers was another source of frustration given the momentum the team has built up recently, though also possibly relief for those hanging after their work Christmas do the night before. The severe weather was also a reminder of the challenges we face with rising food and heating costs.

In these tough times, credit must go to the Dundee FC Community Trust. As well as providing warmth and meals for those struggling with bills, the team are collecting hot water bottles, blankets etc to give out. We have pledged items to this very worthy cause and want to congratulate Greg Fenton and his team for the work they are doing to help vulnerable members of our community.

On a similar theme, Dee4Life director George McIrvine is involved with the Fans Supporting Foodbanks group that hold collections before each game at Dens and Tannadice. We would encourage all those fans who are able to do so to support this initiative. It was heartwarming recently to see how members of the Giorgi Nemsadze supporters club came together to donate items for FSFD – well done lads and lasses.

To turn back to football, we are obviously all desperate for the Dark Blues to give us an early Christmas present when they travel to Ayr tonight. Let’s hope we go top of the league and stay there for the remainder of the season.

On behalf of the Dee4Life board, I would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Best wishes,

Grant Hill (Vice Chair)

Trust Update

External director appointment

Dee4Life are delighted to announce the appointment of Kenny Valentine to the Trust board.

Kenny brings with him a wealth of business experience, having worked for major brands in the hospitality and healthcare sectors throughout his career. Specialising in operations and latterly mergers and acquisitions, he held numerous senior and board positions and is currently a non-executive director in both the private and third sectors.

Kenny was born in Dundee in 1968 and has remained a fanatical supporter of the Dark Blues, despite living most of his life outside the city. His first match was an away win at Starks Park (near the family home in Kirkcaldy) in 1978 while his first visit to Dens was for the League Cup semi-final second leg v Ayr United. Both ended as wins (4-2 & 3-2, respectively) for Dundee, perhaps luring Kenny into a false sense of security about the journey ahead.

His determination to ensure that Dundee lived on led to him helping to organise volunteer activities in our second period of administration, and it was Kenny who introduced his good friend and future benefactor/chairman Bill Colvin to the club in 2010/11.

Kenny has lived in Dunblane for the past 15 years and travels to Dundee regularly, with he and his son Callum both being season ticket holders at Dens Park.

Anyone who wishes to join Kenny in the Dee4Life ranks can do so for just £10 a year by visiting https://app.sheepcrm.com/dee4life/membership/.